Monday, April 7, 2008

Well, folks, this will probably be my last post to the blog. Myself and the rest of our group returned safely to our homes on Friday, April 4, and our grand adventure is at an end.

While two weeks in four countries was quite an amazing feat, it was ever so nice to get to Dallas, Texas, for my last flight home. I'm sure the Customs and Border Security people thought I was a little nuts with my ever-present grin, but at least I got through security with all my luggage and souvenirs and made it to my connecting flight without a hitch.

It was strange, though, to say goodbye to "the boys." I've come to think of them as my surrogate dads, uncles and brothers. And it was just odd to get on a plane and not see Chet, or David, or Richard, or Steve or even Russell smiling from a seat near the wing and talking to some stranger seated next to them about wheat supplies.

I've learned so much about the international wheat trade, and about our domestic production and use. But, more importantly, I learned a lot more about the world and our neighbors to the south.

Latin America is a great opportunity for U.S. wheat. The people are warm and welcoming and their economies are growing. With larger middle classes comes more wheat consumption. And, as a large producer that's only a boat ride away, the United States can fill that growing wheat demand.

In the coming weeks, I'll be writing up in-depth articles on the trip, country by country, for the print version of High Plains Journal and Midwest Ag Journal. And, I encourage you to follow along and send in comments and questions along the way.

Thank you for reading along with our travels and for all of your comments and prayers. We'll see you around!

Columbia

Hablas espanol?

In mid-February I received an incredibly generous invitation to be one of a handful of American agricultural media invited on a two-week tour of four Latin American countries' wheat facilities March 24 to April 4.

We'll be spending a whirlwind time in Colombia, Costa Rica, Peru and Mexico, speaking to the folks importing and using the wheat we grow. It's going to be an amazing learning experience.